Cal Collins

Perhaps one of the most widely respected jazz guitarists, and easily the best-known to ever emerge from the Cincinnati region, was Cal Collins. Blessed on, may 5, 1933, in Medora, IN, Collins started his profession by playing bluegrass mandolin, ultimately relocated to Cincinnati (once he’d finished serving within the Military), and quickly thereafter switched towards the six-string after hearing landmark recordings by such jazz electric guitar greats as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian. In the ’50s with the ’70s, Collins performed frequently and was induced plank in 1976 to be Benny Goodman’s guitarist. For this period, Collins issued many acclaimed single recordings over the Concord label, including such game titles as Cincinnati to L.A., In SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, Blues on my Brain, WITHOUT ANY HELP, Interplay, and CROSS-COUNTRY (and in 1979, was honored by Cincinnati using a Post-Corbett Award). In 1993, he made an appearance within the Masters from the Metal String Electric guitar tour, playing alongside such notables as Doc Watson, bluegrass Dobro participant Jerry Douglas, as well as the blues duo of Cephas & Wiggins, and five years afterwards, issued what will be his last documenting, S’Us Four. On August 27, 2001, Collins passed on at age 68 in Dillboro, IN, because of liver failure.